


sugar for your sweetness

by jjokkiri



Series: monsta x bingo (winter 2017) [11]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Monsta X Bingo, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-28 00:56:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10060286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjokkiri/pseuds/jjokkiri
Summary: Changkyun always takes up this one table at the cafe where he can have a perfect view of the smiley barista while he sketches. Minhyuk notices.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the _Cafe/Bakery_ square of [Monsta X Bingo](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/MXbingo). Self-indulgent and useless fluff.

 

There was a small, quaint cafe at the corner of the city, just a little distance away from the local university. It was a common hangout spot for the university students who had a little bit of time on their hands to go grab a coffee and chat with their friends. Other students stayed at the cafe when the campus library was too packed for them to find a seat.

It was a quiet place, generally filled with students.

At least, that’s what Minhyuk happened to notice over the past year of working at the cafe. He’d applied to the cafe as a barista during his second year of university and he’d grown attached to the place——finding time to work at the cafe in-between finding a job that complemented his university degree in Education.

He knew most of the students who came into the cafe to grab a quick drink——sometimes, they’d stop and talk to him, if he didn’t have a line-up of customers waiting for their drinks. If he did, they’d leave him alone and come back later. Minhyuk had always been well liked by the people around him, and his manager told him that it might be why it would be a shame to let him go, once he finally found a real job. Minhyuk agreed that it would be a pity.

It was a full-time job——a whole eight hour shift, most of the time——even though he cafe wasn’t always busy. The pay wasn’t lucrative, but Minhyuk liked the experience more than anything. His coworkers were nice and sometimes, someone cute would walk into the cafe and all of the baristas would play rock-paper-scissors to determine who would be the lucky person to get a chance to serve said attractive person (Hyungwon usually would win, and Minhyuk swore that Hyungwon cheated, but he never had the proof).

During the hours when it would get boring and work was slow, Minhyuk often surveyed the entire cafe and studied the things that all of the customers were doing.

He’d noticed in the past few weeks that there was a boy who always came into the cafe at around the same time, pull out a sketchbook and then stay there for hours. Minhyuk supposed that he was a first-year student, because he didn’t recognize his face——Minhyuk happened to know too many people on campus (and a city with a local university didn’t have too many students).

For weeks, he’d been wanting to walk up to the boy before he left and ask him what he was drawing, and why he always sat in the exact same spot in the cafe. There’d been a time when the boy walked into the cafe, looked for his seat and immediately left after noticing that it was occupied. The behavior was a little peculiar and Minhyuk had always been curious about such things.

Right now, the young man was seated looking deep in thought at the corner booth of the cafe, intently sketching something in his book. Minhyuk’s mind tingled with curiosity at what the young student might be drawing.

“Please just go talk to him so I can stop cleaning up all the whipped cream you terribly fail to aim at your damned cup,” Hyungwon groaned, “Please.”

“You know,” Minhyuk started, “I once had a friend who was an artist. His name was Kihyun, and he used to want to slaughter me every time I glanced at his works in progress. Do you think all artists are like that?”

“Minhyuk,” Hyungwon sighed, “Kihyun _graduated with me_. I know him too. And he’s just weird. Can you please just go talk to him, because your crush is making _me_ uncomfortable.”

Minhyuk rolled his eyes at the younger barista, “I don’t have a crush, stupid.”

Hyungwon threw the rag at him.

 

 

 

His name was Changkyun. He liked drawing scenery and that was why he always sat in the same spot, every day. It was the perfect spot to look out the window. That’s what he said, at least. Hyungwon insisted that he saw portraits in Changkyun’s sketchbooks. Minhyuk sprayed Hyungwon with the caramel nozzle for spying on the poor artist.

At some point, Hyungwon ended up sitting down next to the young man and casually making conversation with him. At first, Changkyun looked terribly uncomfortable with the fact that one of the staff was talking to him, but he’d brushed it off as an assumption that Hyungwon spoke to all the other customers like this.

It’s an entire week later that Changkyun _finally_ let Hyungwon have a glimpse of what was in his sketchbook, after Hyungwon absolutely promised that he wouldn’t say anything at all. Unfortunately for Changkyun, he trusted the wrong person to keep his mouth shut——he couldn’t keep a secret from Minhyuk.

His name was Lim Changkyun, and he liked to draw portraits of Lee Minhyuk.

And he thought it was very strange that Hyungwon kept talking to him.

 

 

 

“Excuse me, would you like something to drink?” Minhyuk asked.

The young man jumped and immediately covered his sketchbook with his hands, despite Minhyuk being unable to see the drawing from where he was standing. It had been a week and a half since Hyungwon spilled the secret about the drawings to him. Every day since then, the Changkyun had come into the cafe and Minhyuk noticed subtle glances in his direction. It was worth a shot to try speaking to him.

“N-no,” he replied. “I’m good.”

“It’ll be on the house,” Minhyuk added. “Are you sure?”

The boy fixed his glasses and his fingers awkwardly covered the drawing, fidgeting above the paper.

“... hot chocolate would be nice,” he finally decided.

“Whipped cream? Yes? No?”

“Yes, please.”

Minhyuk grinned, heading back behind the counter (where Hyungwon pointedly smirked at him).

 

 

 

The cup of hot chocolate with too much whipped cream had been the key to casual conversation with Changkyun. He had a sweet tooth and never minded when Minhyuk’s hand slipped and he added a little too much sugar to his coffee. And on some days, he’d make the older man sit down with him and he’d ask him to model for him——as if Minhyuk didn’t already know that Changkyun had been sneaking little sketches of him for months.

On Minhyuk’s breaks, he’d keep the young artist company: ask him questions about why he wasn’t in class and if he liked the program he was in. Changkyun often nodded and graced him with quiet answers. The young man was leagues shyer than Minhyuk could ever dream to be.

Today marked just a little under three weeks since Minhyuk had finally found the guts to go sit down with Changkyun, while Hyungwon manned the counter and grinned wickedly at them. Changkyun was drawing a portrait of him, looking at him every once in a while before returning to his sketch.

It was quiet.

“Can I ask you a question?” Minhyuk started, shifting in his position. Changkyun frowned at the movement, tilting his head to compare Minhyuk’s angle to the drawing. “Oh, sorry.”

He attempted to turn back to his original position and Changkyun sighed. “No, it’s okay. Do whatever you want, I remember what you looked like, it’s fine.”

“I can try to imitate myself,” the brunet insisted.

“You’re looking too far to the left,” Changkyun murmured, “But, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Minhyuk pouted and Changkyun paused in continuing his sketch, brows furrowed at Minhyuk. The older man caught on quickly and dropped the pout off of his face, realizing that Changkyun had been in the middle of drawing his mouth. And if Minhyuk knew any better then he’d know that Changkyun’s drawn him a hundred times over and he memorized every single curve and edge of his face, like the back of his own hand.

“You said you wanted to ask me a question,” Changkyun prompted. Suddenly remembering, Minhyuk nodded.

“Ah right! Why do you keep drawing me?” Minhyuk asked, resting his chin in his palm and tilting his head at Changkyun.

The young man flushed and looked away from him, eyes directed down at his sketchbook. He paused in making the gentle strokes of charcoal and he pursed his lips, as if trying to find the words to reason his behavior.

“Is it a problem?” he asked, quietly. Minhyuk shook his head immediately.

“No, I think it’s really cool, I just wanted to know why you kept drawing me specifically. I mean, everyone who comes into the cafe compliments Hyungwon and asks to take selfies with him” Minhyuk answered. “So, I was just wondering why it was me that you always draw. Is it because my face is easier to draw?”

Changkyun shook his head, remaining quiet for a moment and pursing his lips in thought.

“Hyungwon is pretty,” he started. “I see why people would take pictures with him. But, I just draw you because...” he paused again and Minhyuk raised an eyebrow. Changkyun was already speaking quietly, but suddenly, he got quieter. “I draw you because I just think you’re beautiful.”

A smile overtook the brunet’s expression, unable to hold it back. Changkyun frowned at him, but he couldn’t help the change in his expression at the words leaving the younger man’s lips. His eyes brightened and he incoherently made a sound, before clearing his throat and calming himself down.

He wasn’t used to compliments, but from Changkyun, it felt like it was everything. Maybe he should have noticed his little crush a little earlier——maybe, he should have listened to Hyungwon. Minhyuk flattened his palms on the table, continuing to smile like an idiot. Changkyun avoided his eyes.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Changkyun mumbled.

“You think I’m beautiful?” he asked. Changkyun threw down his pencil and huffed.

“Yes,” he replied, exasperatedly. Minhyuk’s eyes shone.

“Are you free for dinner tonight?”

Changkyun paused, eyes flicking up to him quickly. He hesitated, before reaching for his pencil and biting down on his lower lip with a small smile on his lips. “... also yes.”


End file.
